Association between the emissions of volatile organic compounds from vehicular cabin materials and temperature: Correlation and exposure analysis

Abstract

In-cabin air pollution may be mainly ascribed to the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from vehicular cabin materials. Some measurement methods have been proposed by organizations around the world to evaluate the quality of cabin materials. According to the widely used German Standard VDA278, the emission quantity of VOCs from cabin materials over a certain period is taken as an indicator of quality. The VOC emission quantity is generally related to temperature, but the quantitative association between emissions and temperature has not been previously reported. In this paper, we derive a theoretical relationship between the short-and mid-term VOC emission quantity (M) and temperature (T) and show that the logarithm of MT À1/8 is linear with 1/T. Experimental data in the literature on VOC emissions from four vehicular materials at varying temperatures were used for analysis. The logarithm of MT À1/8 and 1/T was found to follow a good linear association with R 2 being 0.89-0.99, which is in agreement with the theoretical relationship. Using this relationship, the VOC emission quantity at a temperature different from the test condition can be predicted. In addition, preliminary exposure analysis was conducted to predict the health risks from selected VOCs detected from emissions in vehicular cabin environments under various temperature scenarios.

Assessment of the mutagenicity of two common indoor air pollutants, formaldehyde and toluene

“…Notably, as individuals often remain indoors longer than outdoors, HCHO pollution indoors must be reduced to avoid potential detrimental effects on human health. Vehicle cabins have been recognized as important indoor environments, and recent reports have shown that the indoor air quality of vehicle cabins is easily polluted by various VOCs (such as toluene) and HCHO 45–47 . Individuals should thus increase the rate of indoor ventilation and cabin, particularly after introducing new sources of HCHO inside, and decrease HCHO pollution indoors or in cabins.…”

Smells like new car or rather like an old carriage? ‐ Resolution of the decay behavior of odorants in vehicle cabins during usage

“…This behavior has already been shown in a number of studies. 6,7 Direct sunlight can heat components such as the instrument panel, resulting in an increase of evaporation of compounds with higher boiling points into the gaseous phase. If a vehicle is subsequently opened, volatile compounds can escape from the passenger cabin, before redeposition on surfaces can occur, an effect which is also known as fogging.…”

“…The role of odorants with regard to VIAQ is only sparely discussed in the literature. On the contrary, parameters influencing the emissions and the air quality of the vehicle interior have been comparatively well‐investigated 6,7 . Thereby, the temperature in the vehicle interior, vehicle make, age, and use of deodorizer products have been found to be important determinants of the qualitative and quantitative composition of VOCs that accumulate inside vehicles 8 .…”

Indoor Air Pollution in Cars: An Update on Novel Insights

“…Similarly, Yang et al derived a theoretical relationship between the VOC emission quantity (M) and temperature (T) with a linear logarithm of MT−1/8 with 1/T, which followed a good linear association (R2: 0.89–0.99). Hence, the VOC emission at different temperatures could be forecasted [15].…”